Male cows under 16 cannot be slaughtered unless certified: HC

Mumbai, Jan 29 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today upheld its interim order, banning slaughtering of male cow progeny aged under 16 years unless they were certified ''fit for slaughter'' by the Municipal Corporation.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice H L Gokhale and Justice V M Kanade deferred the next hearing to February 20.

State Advocate General Ravi Kadam contended that the state wanted the interim order, banning slaughtering of male progeny aged under 16, to be vacated, on which further arguments would be heard on the said date.

Also, on January 12, the State had sought implementation of a total ban on slaughter of cows and reconsidering the amendment of 1995 in the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act.

The Amendment bans slaughtering of male progeny of cow aged under 16. However, since the same was not implemented, ultimately a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by the Viniyog Parivar Trust before the High Court in 1998, which came for hearing today.

The interim order, upholding the Amendment and directing its implementation, was passed after eight years on December 15 last year. Also, the same was stayed by the court later on the intervention by some Muslim groups considering Bakri Id.

UNI